Maciej Daniszewski's Biography

Maciej Daniszewski,
Researcher,
University of Melbourne

Maciej Daniszewski obtained his MsC in Biotechnology from the University of Warsaw in 2015 and subsequently joined Associate Professor Alice Pébay at the Centre for Eye Research Australia. Currently, he pursues a PhD at the University of Melbourne working on a large-scale glaucoma disease-modelling project using the custom-made automated platform. So far, 300 iPSC lines have been generated on the platform with another 250 planned in 2018. He has already published 7 original papers and is the inventor of one international patent related to stem cell technology and automation.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) are leading ageing neurodegenerative diseases of the eye. Although phenotypically distinct, their respective pathophysiologies do share similarities. They are chronic, progressive, and lead to the degeneration of neurons key to the function of the retina or optic nerve. If no treatment is found, the direct and indirect costs associated with these conditions will drastically increase. But Despite enormous research efforts, treatment options are still limited, with no current definitive treatment for AMD and POAG. This paucity of treatment options can be attributed to a fundamental absence in the knowledge around what causes these conditions and how they progress. We use of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to obtain the key cells involved in these diseases. To increase power of analysis, we use automation of cell culture to allow large-scale modelling of AMD and POAG. Those methods will be discussed. Ultimately, we aim to improve our molecular understanding of those neurodegenerative diseases, and ultimately facilitate preclinical trials, and translatable outcomes.